Netherlands to not use 'genocide' for 1915 events

THE HAGUE

The Dutch government will not describe the 1915 events involving Armenians as "genocide", Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher said Saturday.

Speaking at a radio program, Asscher said the government would rather continue using the word "issue" to describe the events, which he said was approved by the Dutch parliament in 2004.

The deputy prime minister said the international courts should handle the veracity of such incidents, adding that his government had nothing to do with the issue.

Asscher added that Netherlands would make efforts to establish dialogue between Turkey and Armenia instead of creating legal disputes.

In 2015, the Dutch parliament rejected a motion about the 1915 events submitted by opposition far-right Party For Freedom and Christian Unity Party.

On Thursday, the lower house of the German parliament approved a non-binding resolution recognizing Armenian claims of “genocide” during the 1915 events.

The resolution accused the Ottoman government of 1915 of allegedly carrying out “systematic genocide” against Armenians, as well as other Christian minorities.

Turkey denies the alleged Armenian “genocide”, but acknowledges that there were casualties on both sides during the events taking place in World War I.

According to Turkey's viewpoint, deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia in 1915 occurred after some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Turkey describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Servet Gunerigok contributed to this report from Ankara.